NEW YORK (AP) — First impressions start at the eyes — they’re
what sparkle when you smile.

There’s a price for that, though: The skin around the eyes isn’t
particularly well-equipped for all that attention (or the lines
that are a side effect of smiling). The skin is thinner and more
delicate than the rest of your face, and aging leads to a loss
around the eyes of collagen and elastin, which are like the springs
that move skin back into shape.

“Think of onion-skin paper, think of the transparency when skin
is so thin. It reflects whatever is going on underneath, whether
you’re tired or sick or have sun damage,” says Loretta Miraglia,
senior vice president of product development for La Mer.

There’s also puffiness and dark circles, largely caused when
blood pools naturally under the eye socket because of its shape.
But when skin is inflamed or irritated, blood flow is further
hindered. Also, the skin gets pulled in unnatural directions when
the eyes are rubbed. And each of the thousands of times you blink
daily — a natural way to protect your eyeball — the skin is called
into duty, says Caroline Debbasch, scientific communication
director for Vichy Laboratoires International, a division of
L’Oreal.

Lots of nerves are located around the eye, which is why the skin
feels so sensitive, Debbasch explains, but there are few sebaceous
glands, so there’s a poor lipid barrier, making it hard to keep the
skin hydrated.

Still, it’s not necessarily a lost cause. The beauty industry is
steadily increasing the weapons in its arsenal with all sorts of
eye-specific products, ranging from all-natural formulas to
nanotechnology.

“The cosmetics industry is working a lot on the eye area —
there’s enormous demand from consumers,” says Debbasch, whose
company research finds half the women in its focus groups
complained of dark circles, one in three was concerned about
slackened skin, and three in 10 worried about swelling.

You’re unlikely to damage your eye-area skin by using a
traditional face moisturizer, but you’ll be using some ingredients
that might not be needed and missing out on others.

Most eye creams have a heavier, creamier texture, Petrovich
notes, because there isn’t the problem of worrying about too-oily
skin or acne. The Sjal eye cream, in particular, uses gingko
biloba, cucumber and aloe in an effort to reduce puffiness and
amino-acid compounds to break up fatty deposits, none of which are
in the facial moisturizer.

La Mer’s The Eye Concentrate targets increased circulation with
sea kelp; and Relastin’s Eye Silk focuses on rebuilding elastin,
sort of like the skin’s elastic, with a zinc complex. “Elastin is
not replaced over time, it stops being produced about the time of
puberty,” says Niquette Hunt, vice president of over-the-counter
products for parent company Revance Therapeutics. “We want to
switch back on the biological pathways that get turned off.”

“Eye skin tends to look baggy — for lack of a better word,” says
Hunt. “It loses the ability to spring back. … You want the skin,
when pulled, to retract and go back.”

Cor’s Silver Eye Cream uses a patented nanotechnology to deliver
silver (an anti-bacterial agent), peptides, vitamins C and E, and
macadamia oil, among other ingredients. By shrinking the molecules
to a size smaller than the skin’s pores, they can reach the dermis
layer of the skin, according to company founder Jennifer
McKinley.

All-natural Emergin C has four different eye products targeting
more specific problems — one focuses on dark circles with vitamin K
and plant-based lighteners; one with vitamin C to encourage
collagen production; a cellular energizer with antioxidants and
vitamins E and H, believed to tone the skin; and a “quick fix”
formula with cucumber, licorice root and green tea to cool and
soothe tired eyes.

Soon, says founder Ian Lirenman, the company will introduce a
product that incorporates stem cells from a rare Swiss apple that
can aims to regenerate collagen.

Working on the surface of the skin is the Skin Renew Anti-Puff
Eye Roller by Garnier Nutritioniste. Limited amounts of caffeine
are distributed around the eye area as the ball itself helps with
puffiness by stimulating circulation, explains Dr. Diane Madfes, a
New York dermatologist who consults for Garnier. There’s also a
cooling effect.

Obviously the proximity to the eyes means there’s always a risk
that a product intended for around the eyes will end up in them
instead. Vichy’s Debbasch suggests products that have been tested
on contact lens users, those without fragrance and using a separate
sunscreen — or, better yet, sunglasses.

In addition to protecting yourself from the sun, there are other
lifestyle decisions that could also help curb the initial
appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and discoloration that all these
eye creams are supposed to make disappear.

Cooling the area around the eye, even with a cool compress or
cucumber, will improve appearance within minutes. However, rubbing
your eyes is a no-no. “When you rub your eyes, you’re sort of
creating a bruise, and then there’s a snowball effect: because the
skin is thin, you see the blood vessels,” says La Mer’s
Miraglia.

Debbasch notes both tobacco and alcohol use contribute to dark
circles because circulation becomes more stagnant, causing
swelling.

And, she adds, beauty sleep isn’t an old wives’ tale:
Circulation also slows down when you’re tired.

Watch this discussion.Stop watching this discussion.

(0) comments

Welcome to the discussion.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language.PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated.Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything.Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person.Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts.Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.